The throne above the main hall was vacant, but a new seat was set up next to the throne. Aohou Lihu, who was wearing a python robe, sat on it and signaled the palace people to place all the memorials of the officials in front of him.
All the palace officials could not hide their fear, their whole bodies were trembling, their heads were lowered, and they carefully placed the memorial in front of Li Hu.
At this time, after a moment of silence among the officials in the palace, someone finally stood up and shouted loudly:
"Your servant Ren Hongkuo, Taichang, would like to ask Marquis Ao why the Crown Prince did not come to the palace today!"
Li Hu, who was reaching out to pick up the memorial, hesitated slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then said in a deep voice:
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is young. He felt a little cold yesterday and was ill. From now on, I will be in charge of the government affairs for the time being!"
At this time, Li Hu obviously wanted to struggle again.
Apart from anything else, at least Li Hu had to ensure that the entire Li court would not be in big trouble, so that he could have a chance to resist the Yun army and reject the proposal from the Yun State...
It's a pity that some of the courtiers in the palace will not pay attention to Li Hu's tormented decision at this time!
At this time, hearing Li Hu's words, another person stood up and shouted in a deep voice:
"Then I would like to ask, Mr. Marquis, if Mr. Guangluxun Dingxiu died in his mansion last night, is it related to the fact that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was seriously ill?"
This scolding immediately ignited the previously silent court.
More than a dozen ministers stood up and shouted to Li Hu who was above the imperial court:
"Please, Lord Marquis, please quickly bring His Royal Highness the Crown Prince out!"
"If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is really seriously ill, our ministers should also come to the palace to pay homage. Please grant your permission!"
"I heard that Marquis Ao sealed off the palace gates and isolated the inside and outside. I wonder if this is possible!"
"Li Hu, the current crisis in our country is the time for us to serve our country. But you isolate yourself from the inside and outside and control power. Are you really thinking of rebellion?"
Seeing everyone standing up and questioning him, Li Hu secretly gritted his teeth, suppressed his temper that was about to explode, and defended himself:
"I am trusted by the king and entrusted to the court before leaving. How can I control the authority? When Guang Luxun died in the palace, I have sent people to investigate the matter in detail and will definitely give an explanation!"
Having said this, Li Hu's eyes sharpened, he looked around at the ministers in the palace, and shouted:
"Since you all know that the Yun State's army is pressing down on the country and the situation is so difficult, why don't you want to serve the country and resist the Yun Army, and why do you question me in the palace?"
He, Li Hu, had already expected the scene of the officials revolting in the court today. After all, Yun Guodongchang had spent so much thought and energy on the layout before, so he naturally had backup plans.
But now that the little prince is dead, Li Hu can't clear his suspicions. In desperation, he can only rebuke the courtiers in this way, and use the pressure of the Yun Kingdom's upcoming attack to temporarily suppress the resistance in the court.
strength.
And now at this time, in the main hall, the ministers who dared to stand up and question Li Hu, rather than wait and see the changes in the situation, naturally would not be dismissed by Li Hu's few words.
"As long as the Marquis invites His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to come out, I will go to the court to accept the punishment. I will be responsible for any crime without any hesitation!"
"Yes, I'd like to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Li Hu, you have the ability to seize power and open the palace door. Can you please come out?"
Suddenly, the entire Nanhua Palace was filled with people who were pressuring Li Hu and questioning him.
No matter how much the etiquette officer scolded him, the courtiers showed no restraint and came to Li Hu with all kinds of questioning, scolding and vehement remarks.
On the steps of the Majesty, Li Hu looked at the excitement among the people below. He wished he could take action now and kill this rebellious man on the spot. The look of violence in his eyes became more and more intense.
In fact, to be honest, the courtier only asked to see the young prince, which was not too much of a request.
But how could they think that the Crown Prince was really dead? At this time, they were chasing the Crown Prince to come forward, and they were trying to kill Li Hu!
Seeing that the situation was becoming more and more out of control, Li Hu's last trace of reason was gradually suppressed by anger.
He looked at the courtiers in the palace, gritted his teeth and shouted:
"Be bold!"
A hall like this where a court meeting is held is hidden with exquisite arrangements, which can spread the speeches above the imperial palace throughout the hall.
Li Hu roared suddenly, and the roar immediately resounded throughout the huge Nanhua Hall.
At this time, the loyal guards who had been standing outside the palace heard Li Hu's roar and quickly opened the door of the palace, filed in, and looked at the ministers in the palace warily.
And when they saw more soldiers rushing into the palace, someone among the courtiers came forward and roared:
"You Li Hu, you are indeed harboring evil intentions and causing trouble! If you insult your young master like this, aren't you afraid of being scolded by the world?"
"There are many people in the country who are loyal to the king. Today your ambition is exposed, and tomorrow there will be loyal and brave people who will raise an army to fight against the thieves!"
"Li Hu, you..."
Li Hu's heart was full of anger, depression, grievance and discomfort, and his reason was instantly swallowed up.
Li Hu suddenly stood up and stood on the steps, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Kill! Kill all these rebellious people!"
The roar filled with awe-inspiring murderous intent made nearly 70% of the officials in the palace, who had been silent all this time, suddenly look horrified, and they all looked at Li Hu, looking in disbelief.
It has reached the point of killing people. Could it be that the Crown Prince has...
At this time, all the wealth and lives were tied to Li Hu. The guards did not hesitate at this time, immediately drew their swords and rushed forward towards the dozen or so officials who stood out.
"Li Hu, you dare!"
"Treasonous and unethical!"
All the ministers shouted violently, and even some people with martial arts skills brazenly tried to seize the weapons and resisted.
But unfortunately, these courtiers are all pampered and powerful people. Even those who practice martial arts are just following the world's trend to strengthen their bodies and are not good at fighting.
Facing the elite guards in Lihu Mansion, who were recruited from the world and trained with military methods, they could only barely resist for a few times, and then their blood was immediately spilled on the main hall.
Any courtiers who avoided it immediately were immediately covered in blood spurted out.
Looking at the fallen courtiers in the palace, whether it was the remaining officials in the palace or the Li Hu who was above the imperial rank, they all felt a chill in their hearts.
Li Hu swallowed harder, and his red eyes once again scanned the panicked officials in the palace.
Feeling Li Hu's gaze, the courtiers stood there tremblingly, with their heads lowered, just like a flock of quails.
Li Hu knew very well that even though these people were silent and honest at this time, they were probably already thinking about how to resist him!
But even so, is it possible to kill them all?
After a long silence, Li Hu finally calmed down a little, and then said in a hoarse voice:
"Let's retreat from the court today!"
As soon as these words came out, all the officials in the palace turned their heads and squeezed out of the palace without saying a word.
In the past, the courtiers, who were all pampered and well-mannered, could no longer care about anything else. They picked up their official robes and ran very fast, for fear that if they took one step too late, they would die on the spot!
Seeing the officials disperse in a crowd and quickly running out of the palace, a close relative of Li Hu standing next to him couldn't help but frown slightly and couldn't help but say:
"Master Marquis, if you let the courtiers leave like this, I'm afraid..."
I'm afraid that the news in the palace can no longer be kept secret!
At that time, if any respected clan members really come forward and respond to the call, the government and the public will respond. It is impossible to control the situation with just hundreds of loyal guards in their hands!
After hearing the advice from his subordinates, Li Hu said in a deep voice:
"Assemble manpower and seal the city gate... The Yun State envoy is waiting in the side hall, let him in!"
When the confidant heard this, his lips moved, and then he sighed inaudibly, cupping his hands and saying:
"yes!"
At this point, besides Yun Guo, do they have any other choice?
At this time, in the side hall on the side, Shen Lian, wearing the uniform of a civil servant of the Yun Kingdom, was looking at the decorations of the Li Dynasty's palace with boredom.
Located in the south of Tiannan, close to the sea, the most abundant treasures in the sea are the treasures in the Li Dynasty.
Just for the decoration in this side hall at this time, there are several coral trees three to four feet high, warm and bright clams. Pearls that are round and bright, seven to eight cents in size, are inlaid everywhere.
Just taking these things from the palace and selling them in the Central Plains, Western Regions, Tianzhu and other places would be worth hundreds of thousands of silver.
At this time, the voice of Li Hu's confidant suddenly came from the door of the side hall:
"Your Majesty, the Marquis has invited you!"
Shen Lian turned around and looked at Li Hu's confidants who came to inform him, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Done!
In the Nan Hua Hall, Li Hu slowly stood up and walked to the side of the gold and jade-inlaid throne, which symbolized the supremacy of the Li Dynasty. He raised his slightly trembling hands and carefully touched it.
Behind him, a voice that sounded familiar to Li Hupo came.
"Now that it has reached this point, don't you want to sit in this position?"
As if being electrocuted, Li Hu suddenly retracted his hand and turned his head to look behind him.
Then Shen Lian, who was wearing the official uniform of the Yun Kingdom, stood quietly at the door and smiled lightly at Li Hu.
"Master Marquis, I haven't seen you for a few hours, but you look a lot haggard!" Shen Lian lowered his head slightly as a salute.
Li Hu's face was slightly cold, he looked at Shen Lian, suppressed the murderous intention in his heart, gritted his teeth and said:
"It is all thanks to you that I am in such a difficult situation now!"
"The Marquis is so complimentary!" Shen Lian said casually, as if he didn't hear the deeper meaning of his words.
Hearing this, Li Hu's mouth twitched and his face became even more ugly.
In order to prevent himself from being upset again, Li Hu stopped beating around the bush and said directly:
"Thanks to your Dongchang, all the officials in the DPRK are now in rebellion and harboring murderous intentions. I want you to mobilize in Dongchang to help me clean up those who rebel against the party and take charge of the government!"
Hearing this, Shen Lian nodded slightly and said:
"The Dianxiao School Office is only loyal to the King of Li Dynasty. It is true that it cannot be mobilized before the Marquis ascends to the throne. But I, Dongchang, cannot help the Marquis in vain..."
Li Hu's face turned even colder and he gritted his teeth and said:
"You, Yun Guo, have spent so much effort to push me to the top. Do you just want to watch my downfall?"
When he said "so much effort", he deliberately emphasized his tone. Obviously, he was dissatisfied with Dongchang for killing the young prince before, but Li Hu had no choice but to vent and remind him like this.
Shen Lianyou couldn't get enough of it, so he spread his hands and said casually:
"Master Marquis, in fact, I haven't spent much effort...Besides, as long as you cause chaos, our plans will not be in vain."
Now the military peak of the Yun Kingdom is pointing at an invincible and unstoppable force. Opposing the army of the Li Dynasty, the soldiers and horses of the Yun Kingdom have no power to resist. Even if Dongchang does not help Li Hu, the Li Dynasty is destined to be in turmoil. After a while, there is no need to think about being able to resist the Yun Kingdom army!
Li Hu was stunned by Shen Lian's words. After a long time, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Speaking of which, what does Yun Guo want?"
Hearing this, Shen Lian immediately said:
"The Li Dynasty proclaimed itself a minister, removed the imperial title, and was granted the title of King An. From then on, he will always be my vassal of Dayun, coming to the court every year and paying tribute every year!"
Hearing this, Li Hu pursed his lips and said in a deep voice:
"Can!"
Anyway, this is not the first time Li Dynasty has professed its vassal status, but it is not so unacceptable...
"You, the Li Dynasty, have been dishonest and have surrendered and rebelled again, which has made His Majesty disgusted. Even if I accept your Li Dynasty's surrender this time, in order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to set up a Prime Minister in the court to assist in the government affairs of your court... ...Of course, I’m just an associate!" Shen Lian continued.
Li Hu frowned when he heard this.
Just an associate? I’m afraid that by then, it won’t be that simple!
After pondering for a moment, Li Hu felt cruel and said:
"Okay!"
Forget it, let’s deal with it first and then talk about it...
Seeing this, Shen Lian quickly said:
"The two countries have made an alliance and will never attack each other. I, Dayun, will withdraw the troops and horses from Xiushan County, and your court will also disband the troops and horses from Anpei County! If an enemy country attacks, I, Dayun, will guard your territory!"
Li Hu's eyes widened suddenly, without any hesitation, he immediately retorted:
"impossible!"
What makes an alliance is that the two countries will never attack.
The Yun State only needs to withdraw the soldiers and horses from Xiushan County, while the Li Dynasty needs to disband the soldiers and horses stationed in Anbai County. As for promising protection when other countries invade, it only gives the Yun State army to The right to march in the Li Dynasty.
Although the words sound nice, they are of no benefit to Li Chao!
Facing Li Hu's flat refusal, Shen Lian didn't care and continued:
"If there is a heir apparent in your dynasty, he should enter my Dayun Jixia Academy to learn the strategies of governing the country. When he takes over, he must write to my Majesty Dayun and request for canonization. Only then can he be considered orthodox!"
"Impossible, it is impossible for me to admit such a loss of power and humiliation to the country!" Li Hu said sternly.
"You, Yun Guo, are just wishful thinking!"
At this time, Li Hu looked ferocious and slightly mad, as if he was stimulated by Yun Guo's conditions.
But Shen Lian looked indifferent and said in a deep voice:
"It may be difficult to accept it, but if the Marquis accepts the decree and is granted the title, he will still retain his position as king, and the Li family temple will not be overturned. But if the Marquis does not accept the decree, you should also know the consequences!"
I don't know if it was a coincidence or a deliberate arrangement, but at this moment, I heard a rushing sound outside Nanhua Hall.
"Reporting to the Marquis, there is an emergency military report from Anpei County. There is a sudden movement in the camp of Xiushan County of Yunguo. General Yang Dayan of Andong of Yunguo led 50,000 troops under his command and rushed directly to the defense line of Anpei County. Please rescue me as soon as possible. !”
There were tens of thousands of troops in Yen Bai County, but they had not yet engaged in battle at this time. They just noticed the Yun army coming, so they hurriedly sent people to ask for help. From this, we can see how low the morale of the Li army on the front line was.
Shen Lian looked at Li Hu, took a step forward with the imperial edict in his hand, and asked with a fierce expression:
"May I ask, Lord Marquis, if you are willing to accept the order?"
Li Hu looked in a daze and staggered a little.
The enemy's army is pressing down on the territory outside, the government is unstable inside, and the ministers are resisting.
What can be done about such a situation?
In Nanhua Hall, there was silence for a long time, and then Li Hu's somewhat helpless voice was heard: